How Long Does it Take to Grow a Honeydew Melon?

Fresh honeydew melons and other varieties can be used to make a fruit salad.

Large and pale green with a light floral scent, Honeydew melons (Cucumis melo) are a warm-weather fruit that does well in temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. They do best in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 4 through 11. While they can be direct planted in the springtime, using transplants will give you a head start, meaning you could have a melon harvest as early as mid to late summer.

Start Seeds

Starting your melon seeds indoors gives you an advance start and possibly an earlier harvest, or they can be planted outdoors through direct seeding. In ideal growing conditions, where air temperatures are between 68 and 86 F, honeydew melon seeds take 8 to 10 days to germinate. When soil temperatures are around 68 F, germination takes place in 8 to 10 days. With soil temperatures of 77 F or higher, the germination period is closer to three or four days.

Transplant

When started indoors, use a heat mat to control the temperature range to be between 68 and 86 F if the weather is too cool. Start your seeds indoors two to four weeks before the last spring frost date and transplant them when soil temperatures are 65 F and above. As they take a long time to reach maturity, plant your seeds and your transplants as soon as you can.

Grow

Honeydew melons mature between 65 and 100 days in warm, sunny weather. In areas where there are temperature fluctuations or where the weather is cooler overall, start your melon seeds indoors as their long growing season may mean direct seeding will take too long. Plant honeydew melons early enough so that they have enough exposure to warmth and sunlight for their full growth term. To see if your growing season is long enough, check the expected first fall frost date.

Harvest

As the honeydew melons continue to grow, keep the area well-watered and weed-free as this is key to a healthy plant and harvest. Water the plants whenever the first two inches of soil is dry when touched. When watering give each of the plants a long, thorough soak to encourage a deep root structure and ensure there is enough water for the plant to develop healthy fruit. As a shallow rooted plant, honeydew melons benefit from regular irrigation. When the soil is dry 2 inches below the surface, water the melons. Each plant requires 1/2 a gallon of water twice a week, increasing to 1 gallon of water twice a week during fruit production. Honeydew melons are ripe when their skin is a pale green, sometimes with a faint yellow tinge. When ready to harvest, the melons are removed easily from the vine.

About the Author

Benjamin Shorter has been a writer for publications such as the "New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal," "National Post" and the "Edmonton Journal" since 2001. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from McGill University, a Master of Arts in history from Central European University and a diploma in journalism from Concordia University.